Chris Hedges and Robert Reich Debate the Future of the Progressive Movement (Video)
Hedges and Reich appear on "Democracy Now!" to debate whom progressives should support now that Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton.Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention revealed discord within the Democratic Party, as supporters of Bernie Sanders clashed with supporters of Hillary Clinton. As many hope Day 2 of the convention will help resolve internal party politics, Truthdig contributor Chris Hedges and former Labor Department Secretary Robert Reich appeared on “Democracy Now!” to debate the future of the progressive party and the problems of neoliberalism.
“This is a very agonizing time for many Bernie supporters,” Reich began, noting that he endorsed Sanders and worked hard for his campaign. “At this particular juncture, there’s a great deal of sadness.”
Reich continued:
“I can tell you that the movement is going to continue. It’s going to grow. And right now, at this particular point in time, I just don’t see any alternative but to support Hillary. I know Hillary, I know her faults, I know her strengths. I think she will make a great president.”
He added that he will not only support her because she will be a good president but because he is “tremendously worried about the alternative,” calling Trump “a megalomaniac and a bigot” who will “set back back the progressive movement.”
“Reducing the election to personalities is kind of infantile at this point,” Hedges fired back. “Is Trump a repugnant personality? Yes, although I would argue that in terms of megalomania and narcissism, Hillary Clinton is not far behind. … We’ve got to break away from political personalities and understand and examine and critique the structures of power.” He then dived in to Clinton’s political legacy, noting that she has “destroyed welfare as we know it.”
“I don’t like Trump,” Hedges argued, “but Trump is not the phenomena. Trump is responding to a phenomena created by neoliberalism. And we may get rid of Trump, but we will get something even more vile.”
“I couldn’t agree with Chris Hedges more about his critique overall of neoliberalism and a lot of the structural problems that we face in our political economy today,” Reich responded. “I think that voting for Donald Trump, or equating Hillary Clinton with Donald Trump, is insane.”
Watch the entire interview below:
—Posted by Emma Niles
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